Oxyalkylated derivatives of fusible acetylene-phenolic resins



Nov. 8, 1955 M. DE GROOTE ET AL 2,123,252

OXYALKYLATED DERIVATIVES OF FUSIBLE ACETYLENE-PHENOLIC RESINS Filed May 5. 1953 PH ENOL-ACETYLENE C2H4O RESIN |oo y v IOO% Melvin De Groote Bernhard Keiser INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS OXYALKYLATED DERIVATIVES OF FUSIBLE ACETYLENE-PHENOLIC RESINS Melvin De Groote, St. Louisiand Bernhard Keis er, Webster Groves, Mo., assignors to Petrolite Corporation, Wilmington, Del., :1 corporationof Delaware Application May 5,1953, Serial No. 353,043

Claims. (Cl. 260-62) The present invention is concerned with certain new chemical products, compounds, or compositions which have useful application in various arts. This application is a continuation-in-part ofour application Serial No. 129,710, filed November 28, 1949, abandoned.

Our Patent 2,574,543, granted November 13, 1951, on an application filed concurrently with said application Serial No. 129,710, describes the breaking of petroleum emulsions by means of certain resins oxyalkylated with both ethylene oxide and propylene oxide in stated relative proportions. The new products of the present application are a small group of the compositions described in our said patent, which compositions have outstanding properties, presumably because of the specific proportions of the three constituents, the resin, the ethylene oxide, and the propylene oxide, from which they are prepared.

Our patent, 2,560,333, granted July 10, 1951, describes certain hydrophile synthetic products which are the oxyalkylation products of alpha,-beta-alkylene oxides having not more than four carbon atoms and oxyalkylationsusceptible, fusible, organic solvent-soluble, water-insoluble, phenolic resins, which resins are derived at least in part from acetylenic hydrocarbons. The resins described as reactants for the production of the demulsifiers of our said patent are those used in producing the particular small class of oxyalkylated products of the present application.

In the products of the present invention, the selected phenolic resin derived atleast in part from acetylenic hydrocarbons so as to introduce an altered acetylenic radical as the linking structure between phenolic nuclei is oxyalkylated with both ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, in such weight proportions of the three reactants as to come within the area defined by points 1, 2, 3 on the accompanying chart, which is a conventional representation of a 3-component system, proportions being weight proportions of the three components. The line, 12 represents about 4% resin; the line 31 represents about 78% propylene oxide; and the line 2.3 represents ethylene oxide.

Products, as above described briefly, and hereinafter described in detail, are particularly effective in breaking petroleum emulsions ofthe water-in-oil type. Oil field emulsions of this type are commonly referred to as cut oil, roily oil, emulsified oil, etc., and which comprise fine droplets of naturally-occurring waters or brines dispersed in a more or less permanent state throughout the oil which constitutes the continuous phase of the emulsion.

The new products herein described are useful as wetting, detergent and leveling agents in the laundry, textile and dyeing industries; as wetting agents and detergents in the acid washing of building stone and brick; as wetting agents and spreaders in the application of asphalt in road building and the like; as a flotation reagent in the flotation separation of various aqueous suspensions containing negatively charged particles, such as sewage, coal washing waste water, and various trade Wastes and the like; as germicides, insecticides, emulsifyingagents, as, for example, for cosmetics, spray oils, water-repellent textile finishes, as lubricants, etc.

A variety of resins obtained from phenol and acetylene or its polymers, or from phenols, aldehydes having 1 to 8 carbon atoms and acetylene or its polymers, useful as intermediates for producing the products of the present invention are known. We refer to our Patent 2,560,333, the application for which was copending with our said application Serial No. 129,710, for a detailed description of such resins, and to Examples 1 through 24 thereof for specific examples of phenol-acetylene resins, to Examples la through 68a for examples of suitable phenol-C1Cs aldehyde resins for after treatment with acetylene to produce intermediates for use in producingthe products of the invention and to Examples 1b through 10b for examples of phenol-aldehyde resins subjected to after treat ment with acetylene to produce suitable intermediates, and to Examples 1c through 50 for examples of suitable inter mediates prepared by the after treatment of phenol-acetylene resins with aldehydes.

Particularly important intermediates are those illustrated in the first half of column 9 of said patent, namely, those derived from acetylene and difunctional phenols having a hydrocarbon substituent containing at least 4 and not morethan 12 carbon atoms.

With reference to such resins, it is obvious that one might use a mechanical mixture of two different resins, or one might employ mixtures of phenolic reactants or acetylenic reactants to produce a resin useful as an intermediate for producing the products of thepresent invention.

- The oxyalkylation of resins of the kind from which the products used in the practice of the present invention are prepared is advantageously catalyzed by the presence of an alkali. Useful alkaline catalysts include soaps, sodium acetate, sodium hydroxide, sodium methylate, caustic potash, etc. The amount of alkaline catalyst usually is between 0.2% to 2%. The temperature employed may vary from room temperature to as high as 200 C. The reaction may be conducted with or without pressure, i. e., from zero pressure to approximately 200 or even 300 pounds gauge pressure (pounds per square inch). In a general way,'the method employed is substantially the same procedure as used for oxyalkylation of other organic materials having reactive phenolic groups.

It may be necessary to allow for the acidity of a resin in determining the amount of alkaline catalyst to be added in oxyalkylation. For instance, if a non-volatile strong acid such as sulfuric acid is used to catalyze the resinification reaction, presumably after being converted into a sulfonic acid, it may be necessary and is usually advantageous to add an amount of alkali equal stoichiometrically to such acidity, and include added alkali over andabove this amount as the alkaline catalyst.

It is advantageous to conduct the oxyethylation or oxypropylation in the presence of an inert solvent such as xylene, cymene, decalin, ethylene glycol diethylether, diethyleneglycol, diethylether, or the like, although with many resins, the oxyalkylation proceeds satisfactorily without a solvent. Since xylene is cheap and may be permitted to be present in the final product used as a de mulsifier, it is our preference to use xylene. This is particularly true in the manufacture of products from lowstage resins, i. e., of 3 and up to and including 7 units per molecule.

If a xylene solution is used in an autoclave as herein after indicated, the pressure readings of course represent total pressure, that is, the combined pressure due to xylene and also due to ethylene or propylene oxide. Under'such circumstances it may be necessary'at times to use substantial pressures to obtain eifective results, for instance, pressures up to 300 pounds along with correspondinglyhigh temperatures, if required.

However, even in the instance of high-melting resins, a solvent such as xylene can be eliminated in either one of two ways. After the introduction of approximately 2 or-3 moles of ethylene oxide, for example, per phenolic nucleus, there is a definite drop in the hardness and melting point of the resin. At this stage, if xylene or a similar solvent has been added, it can be eliminated by distillation (vacuum distillation if desired) and the subsequent intermediate, being comparatively soft and solvent-free, can bereacted further in the usual manner with ethylene oxide or some other suitable reactant.

Another procedure is to continue the reactionto completion with such solvent present andv then eliminate the solvent by distillation in the customary manner.

Attention, is directed to the fact that-the resins. herein described must be fusible or soluble in anorganic solvent. Fusible resins invariably arev soluble in. one or more. organic solvents, such as those mentioned. elsewhere. herein. It is to be emphasized, however, that the organic. solvent employed to indicate or assure that the resin meets this, requirement need not be the one used. in oxyalkylation. Indeed solventswhich are susceptible to oxyalkylation are included in this group of organic solvents. Examples. of such solvents are alcohols and: alcohol-ethers. However, where a resin is soluble in an organic solvent, there are usually available other organic solvents which are not susceptible to oxyalkylation, useful for the oxyalkylation step. In any event, the organic solvent-soluble resin can be finely powdered, for instance, to 100 to 200 mesh, and a slurry or suspension prepared in xylene or the like, and subjected to oxyalkylation. The fact that. the resin is soluble in an organic solvent, or the fact that is is fusible, means that it consists of separate molecules. Phenolic resins of the type herein specified possess reactive hydroxyl groups and are oxyalkylation susceptible.

In our application Serial No. 8,730, filed February 1.6, 1948, now abandoned, in regard to phenolaldehyde resins per se, we said as follows:

Based on molecular weight determinations, most of the resins prepared as herein described, particularly in the absence. of a secondary heating step, contain 3 to 6 or 7 phenolic nuclei with approximately 4. /2 or /2 nuclei as an average. More drastic conditions of resinification yield resins of greater chain length. Such, more intensive resinification is a conventional procedure and may be employed, if desired. Molecular weight, of course, is measured by any suitable procedure, particularly by cryoscopic methods; but using the same reactants and using more drastic conditions of resinification one usually finds that higher molecular weights are indicated by higher meltingpoints of the resins and a tendency to decreased solubility. See what. has been said elsewhere herein in. regard-to a. secondary,- step involving theheating of a resin with. or without the. use of vacuum.

If: such resins are; given an, after-treatment with acetylene, andi suchtreatment, in order to meet the requisites.

herein stated, joins at. least two. resin molecules togetherby a linkage such as the following:

then, of course, there is an increase in molecular weight of at. least double the previous value. Similarly, resins prepared in the manner of the commercial product, Koresin,f (the trademark employed to describe certain resins manufactured by General Aniline and. Film Corporation) such as anamyl, hexyl, or octyl' Koresin, yield-relatively soft or tacky resins, in which there are only 3 or, 4 or possibly 5. units. Suchresins can be treatedfurther with formaldehyde in the manner described, so as to'giveresins of higher; molecular weights'than the initial resin. Thereforewithout attemptingtoelaborate too-closely, we-simply desire.to.point.out that: the range of molecular weight. of the. various, resins. herein contemplated: maygo anywhere fiiom;a .lo w. range resin having 3 to 6 or 7 phenolic nuclei.

with approximately 4 to 5 nuclei. as an average, up-- to.-

ratios double these values or in excess thereof. In other words, 'a phenolaldehyde resin may be subjected to treatment with acetylene, or inversely, a phenol-acetylene resin may be treated with an aldehyde. The most practical procedure is simply to take any mixture of phenols and treat it with acetylene or the equivalent, to obtain a fusible, organic solvent-soluble resin; or, if desired, prepare a phenol-aldehyde resin and treat. such resinwith acetylene.

As far as the preparation of the phenol-aldehyde resins go for subsequent after-treatment with acetylene, attention is called to the following paragraph which appears in our aforementioned abandoned application Serial No. 8,730:

We have pointed out that either an alkaline or acid catalyst is advantageously used in. preparing the resin. A combination of catalysts is sometimes used in two stages; for instance, an alkaline catalyst is sometimes employed in a first stage, followed by neutralization and addition of a small amount of acid catalyst in a second stage. It is generally believed that even in the presence of an alkaline catalyst, the number of moles of aldehyde, such as formaldehyde, must be greater thanthe moles of phenol employed, in order to introduce methylol groups in the intermediate stage. There is no indication that such groups appear in the final resin, if prepared by the use of an acid. catalyst. It is possible that such groups may appear in the finished resins prepared solely with an alkaline catalyst; but We have never been able to confirm this fact in an examination of a large number of resins prepared by ourselves. Our preference, however, is to use an acid-catalyzed. resin, particularly employing a formaldehyde-to-phenol ratio of 0.95 to 1.20, and, as far as We have been able to determine, such resins are free from methylol groups. Asa matter of fact, it is probable that in acid-catalyzed resinifications, the methylol structure may appear only momentarily at thevery beginning of the reaction, and in all probability, is converted at once into a more complex structure during the intermediate stage.

One procedure which can be employed in the use of a new resin to prepare products of the invention is to determine the hydroxyl value by the Verl'ey-Bolsing method or its equivalent. The resinas sucli,,or in the form of a solution, as described, was then'treated'. with a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide in presence of 0.5% to 2% of sodium. methylate as. a catalyst in step-wise fashion. The ratios of' propylene oxide and ethylene oxide employed correspond to the ratios in the limiting points on the triangular graph in the accompanying drawing, to wit, points 1, 2, 3. Our preference is to use the propylene oxide and then the ethylene oxide, althoughuseful products are obtained by using ethylene oxide and then propylene oxide. or. by carrying out. the oxyalkylation with the use. of the two oxides at the sarnev time.

Attention is directed to. the, fact that. in the subsequent examples. reference is made to the step-wise addition of the. alkylene. oxide, such as ethyleneoxide. It is understood, of course, there is no objection to the continuous addition of alkylene oxide until the desired stage of reaction is reached. In fact, there may be less of a hazard involved and it is often advantageousto add the alkylene oxide, or mixture, slowly in a continuous stream and in such amount as to avoid exceeding the higher pressures noted in the various examples or elsewhere.

It may be well to emphasize the fact that some resins are comparatively soft or pitch-like at ordinary temperatures. Such resins become comparatively fluid atv to C., as a rule, and thus can be-readily oxyalkylated, without the use of a solvent.

Ordinarily, the oxyalkylation is. carried outv in autoclaves provided with agitators or stirring devices. have, found that thespeed of the agitation. markedly influences the time: reaction. In: some cases, the change: from; slow speed; agitation, for example, in. a laboratory autoclave, with: a stirrer operating at; a speed of 60. to 200 R. P. M., to high. speedagitation: with: the. stirrer operating at 250 to 350 R. P. M., reduces the time required for oxyalkylation by one-half to two-thirds. Frequently xylene-soluble products which give insoluble products by procedures employing comparatively slow speed agitation, give suitable hydrophile products when produced by similar procedure, but with high speed agitation, as a result, we believe, of the reduction in the time required, with consequent elimination or curtailment of opportunity for curing or etherization. Even if the formation of an insoluble product is not involved, it is frequently advantageous to. speed up the reaction, thereby reducing production time, by increasing agitating speed. In large scale operations, we have demonstrated that economical manufacturing results from continuous oxyalkylation, i. e., an operation in which the alkylene oxide is continuously fed to. the reaction vessel, with high speed agitation, i. e., an agitator operating at 250 to 350 R. P. M. Continuous oxyalkylation, other conditions being the same, is more rapid than batchoxyalkylation, but the latter is ordinarily more convenient for laboratory operation.

In the continuous addition of ethylene oxide we have employed either a cylinder of ethylene oxide without added nitrogen, provided that the pressure of the ethylene oxide was sufiiciently great to pass into the autoclave, or we have used an arrangement, which, in essence, was the equivalent of an ethylene oxide cylinder with a means for injecting nitrogen so as to force the ethylene oxide in the manner of an ordinary Seltzer bottle, combined with the means for either weighing the cylinder or measuring the ethylene oxide used volumetrically. In the case of propylene oxide we invariably used nitrogen pressure to cause the'oxide tomove into the autoclave.

Such procedure and arrangement for injecting liquids is, of course, conventional. In adding ethylene oxide or propylene oxide continuously, there is one precaution which must be taken at ail times. The addition of the oxide must stop immediately if there is any indication that reactionis stopped, or, obviously, if reaction is not started at the beginning of the reaction period. Since the addition of ethylene oxide is invariably an exothermic reaction, whether or not reaction has taken place, can be judged in the usual manner by observing (a) Temperature rise or drop, if any; and (b) Amount of cooling Water or other means required to dissipate heat of reaction;

thus, if there is a temperature drop without the use of cooling water or equivalent, or if there is no rise in temperature without using cooling water control, careful investigation shoud be made.

The resins employed are prepared in the manner described in various examples of our said Patent 2,560,333. Instead of being prepared on a laboratory scale, they were prepared in 10 to l-gallon electro-vapor-heated synthetic resin pilot plant reactors, as manufactured by the Blaw- Knox Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and completely described in their bulletin No. 2087, issued in 1947, with specific reference to specification No. 71-3965.

In preparing the derivatives we have used the following procedure throughout. Prepare the resins with a certain amount of solvent, such as xylene, present purely as a convenience. We have treated the resins with propylene oxide and ethylene oxide in three different ways:

(a) Add the ethylene oxide first and then the propylene oxide;

(b) Add the propylene oxide first and then the ethylene oxide; and

(0) Use a mixture of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide, and make a single addition.

In each case we have used an alkaline catalyst equivalent to approximately one-half per cent to 1% of the total reaction mass in the final stage, or equivalent to one-fourth per cent of alkaline catalyst based on final compound.

A number of resins were employed from a group of seven resins obtained by the action of acetylene on the following seven phenols:

1. Para-secondary butylphenol Para-tertiary amylphenol Para-phenylphenol Para-octylphenol Mixed paraand orthopropylphenol Cardanol Side-chain hydrogenated cardanol The relative proportions of the materials are those indi cated of the point 2 on the conventional triangular chart or graph of the attached figure. In this chart each vertex represents of the material indicated, i. e., a phenolic resin, ethylene oxide, or propylene oxide. Points in the area represent composition indicated in the usual manner.

Our exploration of products containing various proportions of the three constituents revealed that the most eflec tive compositions from the standpoint of demulsification and, we believe, for other purposes, were found within three relatively restricted areas, of which one is the area 1, 2, 3, the products represented by which are the subject matter of this invention while the products represented by the other two are the subject matter of other applications filed concurrently herewith.

. We prepared a series of five different phenolacetylene resins by treating with acetylene the first five phenols in the list above, i. e., para-secondary butylphenol, paratertiary amylphenol, para-phenylphenol, para-octylphenol, and mixed paraand ortho-propylphenol, and oxyalkylated them in the proportions of 10 grams of resin to 25 grams of ethylene oxide to 215 grams of propylene oxide, using 250 grams of xylene as a solvent and 1 gram of flake caustic soda as catalyst. The oxyalkylation of each of the resins was carried out in three different ways:

(a) Adding all the ethylene oxide first and then the propylene oxide;

(b) Adding the propylene oxide first and then the ethylene oxide;

(0) Mixing the two oxides and adding them simultaneously.

We have prepared also a number of similar derivatives in which the previously mentioned seven resins prepared from a selected phenol and acetylene were given an aftertreatment with an aldehyde so as to produce a more complex resin in which there was present more than one type of linking unit, i. e., one derived from acetylene and one derived from an aldehyde. The same applies to some resins which were prepared in a reverse manner, in which the phenol-aldehyde resin was subjected to after-treatment with acetylene.

Resins derived exclusively from phenols and formaldehyde, react the same way in the ethylene oxidepropylene oxide treatment as do resins derived exclusively from comparable phenols and acetylene. It follows obviously that such resins in which the mixed groupings appear, i. e., both acetylene groupings and aldehyde groupings, must fall within the same limiting characteristics and this mixed type resin does act substantially the same and is susceptible to the same treatment as far as oxyalkylation goes, with the same results as the phenol-acetylene resins.

We again desire to point out that the amount of alkaline catalyst used is not critical. This is true whether the catalyst be caustic soda, caustic potash, sodium methylate, or any other suitable catalyst. The amount which we regularly employed has varied from 1%, based on the resin alone, to 1% based on the resin and oxides, although in many cases, the reaction has been speeded up by using approximately twice this amount of caustic. We are inclined to believe that whenever the amount of caustic represents more than 2% of the reactants present, ignoring inert solvent, that there may be some tendency to form cyclic polymers with the alkylene oxide, although this is purely a matter of speculation. For this reason, whether justified or not, we have usually avoided use of excess. amounts of catalyst.

As we have stated, products i unusual, value are. produced when their compositions are, such that the. three components are in proportions represented by the. area 1, 2, 3 on the appended drawing. We. have prepared a number of derivatives which come within this area and such derivatives are most effective demulsifiers, and effective for other purposes. It is understood, of course, in each instance the composition is based on the assumption that the percentage by weight basis is on a statistical basis, which it obviously must be, and assumes completeness of reaction.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Hydrophile synthetic products; said hydrophile synthetic products being ox-yalkylation products which are the reaction products of (a) both ethylene oxide and alpha-beta propylene oxide; and (b) an oxyalkylationsusceptible, fusible, organic solvent-soluble, Water-insoluble, phenolic resin in which at least a part of the radicals linking the phenolic nuclei are divalent radicals resulting from the reaction of an acetylenic hydrocarbon with a. phenolic structure; said resin being derived, at least in part, by reaction of a phenol with anacetylenic hydrocarbon so as to introduce an altered acetylenic radical as the linking structure between phenolic nuclei with any remaining linkages between phenolic nuclei being divalent radicals resulting from phenol-aldehyde condensation and having not more than 8 carbon atoms; said oxyalkylated resin being characterized by the introduction into the resin molecule of a plurality of divalent C2H4O and CsHeO radicals, with the proviso that the composition of said hydrophile synthetic products, based on a statistical average and assuming completeness of reaction, and calculated back to the three oxyalkylation step reactants, i. e., resin, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, on a percentage weight basis must fall within the area defined by the points 1, 2, 3 of the chart in the accompanying drawing.

2. Hydrophile synthetic products; said hydrophile synthetic products being oxyalkylation products which soluble, phenolic resin in-which the radicals linking the phenolic nuclei are: divalent radicals resulting from the reaction of. acetylene with a phenol; said resin being derived by reaction of a phenol with acetylene so as to introduce an: altered acetylenic radical as the linking structure between: phenolic nuclei; said oxyalkylated. resin being characterized by the introduction intothe resin molecule of a plurality of divalent- C2H4OI and CsHsO radicals, with the proviso that the composition of said hydrophile synthetic products, based on a statistical average and assuming completeness of. reaction, and calculated back to the threeoxyalkylation step reactants, i. e., resin, ethylene oxide and: propylene: oxide, on a percentage weight basisrnust fall withinthe area defined by the points 1, 2, 3 of the chart inthe accompanying drawing.

3.. The product of claim 1,. whereinthe resin is derived from para-tertiary: butylphenol;

4. The product of claim 1, wherein the resin is derived from para-tertiary. amylphenol;

5. The. product of claim- 1-, wherein the resin is. derived from para-octylphenol.

Refer ences'Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES- PATENTS 2,040,2'l2 Orthner et al. May 12, 1936 2,076,624 De Groote Apr. 13, 1937 2,574,543 De Grooteet al. Nov. 13, 1951 2,629,706 De Groote et al. Feb. 24, 1953 FOREIGN. PATENTS 447,417 Great Britain May 18, 1936 OTHER: REFERENCES Ellis, The Chemistry of Synthetic Resins, volume 11, pages 1559- to 1566, Reinhold Publishing Corp., 1936, New York.

Zoss et al., Industrial and Engineering Chemistry,.volume' 4-1, January, 1949, pages 73 to 77. 

1. HYDROPHILE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS; SAID HYDROPHILE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS BEING OXYALKYLATION PRODUCTS WHICH ARE THE RECTION PRODUCTS OF (A) BOTH ETHYLENE OXIDE AND ALPHA-BETA PROPYLENE OXIDE; AND (B) AN OXYALKYLATIONSUSCEPTIBLE, FUSIBLE, ORGANIC SOLVENT-SOLUBLE, WATER-INSOLUBLE, PHENOLIC RESIN IN WHICH AT LEAST A PART OF THE RADICALS LINKING THE PHENOLIC NUCLEI ARE DIVALENT RADICALS RESULTING FROM THE REACTION OF AN ACETYLENIC HYDROCARBON WITH A PHENOLIC STRUCTURE; SAID RESIN BEING DERIVED, AT LEAST IN PART, BY REACTION OF A PHENOL WITH AN ACETYLENIC HYDROCARBON SO AS TO INTRODUCE AN ALTERED ACETYLENIC RADICAL AS THE LINKING STRUCTURE BETWEEN PHENOLIC NUCLEI WITH ANY REMAINING LINKAGES BETWEEN PHENOLIC NUCLEI BEING DIVALENT RADICALS RESULTING FROM PHENOL-ALDEHYDE CONDENSATION AND HAVING NOT MORE THAN 8 CARBON ATOMS; SAID OXYALKYLATED RESIN BEING CHARACTERIZED BY THE INTRODUC TION INTO THE RESIN MOLECULE OF A PLURALITY OF DIVALENT C2H4O AND C3H6O RADICALS, WITH THE PROVISO THAT THE COMPOSITION OF SAID HYDROPHILE SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS, BASED ON A STATISTICAL AVERAGE AND ASSUMNG COMPLETENESS OF REACTION, AND CALCULATED BACK TO THE THREE OXYALKYLATION STEP REACTANT, I.E., RESIN, ETHYLENE OXIDE AND PROPYLENE OXIDE, ON A PERCENTAGE WEIGHT BASIS MUST FALL WITHIN THE AREA DEFINED BY THE POINTS 1,2,3 OF THE CHART IN THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWING. 